With election certified, debate over voting systems heats up
Saturday, January 8, 2005
By MALIA RULON Associated Press

WASHINGTON ? While Congress this week officially certified President Bush as the winner of the 2004 election, effectively ending weeks of challenges in Ohio, the debate over how to fix the nation?s voting system has just begun.

The way in which elections are conducted has came under intense scrutiny, first in 2000 when the focus was on Florida?s hanging chads, and now in Ohio, which was the deciding state in the presidential race and has become ground zero for election irregularities.

A deeply divided electorate, coupled with Thursday?s rare objection in Congress of the Electoral College outcome, add fuel to the debate of what changes should be made. In Congress and at the state level, proposals are being made that could change how people donate to political groups, register to vote and cast ballots.

House Administration Chairman Bob Ney, R-St. Clairsville, plans to hold hearings to examine election issues, including the growth of tax-exempt political groups that aren?t regulated by the Federal Election Commission. He also plans to investigate reports of voter disenfranchisement, problems with provisional ballots and long lines at polling stations.

Meanwhile, Democratic Reps. Gene Green of Texas, Brian Baird of Washington and Bill Delahunt of Massachusetts have advanced a plan to abolish the Electoral College, and Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., wants to establish Election Day as a national holiday, expand early voting options, and create national standards for voter registration, voting hours and ballot recounts.

Ney said that while he supports holding congressional hearings, he hasn?t decided whether new election legislation is needed.

On the state level, discussions are under way in Ohio to expand absentee and early voting options, and require voters to provide identification at polls. The state already is required by federal law to replace all punch card machines by November of this year.

In the Ohio Senate, Republican Jeff Jacobson of Dayton plans to push for a law that would require Ohio voters to produce an identification card to vote while Democrat Teresa Fedor of Toledo wants to create standards for voting machines that would require a paper trail. She also wants to prohibit Ohio?s secretary of state from holding a campaign office.